Since winning their 3rd Stanley Cup, the playoffs haven't been very kind to the Boys in red and black.

They've put some teams on the ice that have been lacking the killer instinct that real contenders possess to go deep into spring.

Jersey fans will find out if the Devils have what it takes in a crucial game 5 in Florida on Saturday evening.

Coming off of a huge shutout, the Devils look poised to take over a series which most hockey experts believed should have been theirs to win in much easier fashion.

Unfortunately, they faced a very similar situation in 2009 versus the Carolina Hurricanes... Which was certainly a series the Devils and their fans would love to forget.

In 2009, the Devils had come off of a crushing game 4 defeat with a Jussi Jokinen goal with 0.2 seconds left on the clock. Marty clearly didn't have that old magic that night which is eerily similar to the collapse fans witnessed last Tuesday night. Another similarity is that Brodeur bounced back strong in the next game with a shutout. In fact, I still believe his 44 save 1-0 win that night in 2009 was the best goaltending performance of his entire career. This also mirrors Thursday's Brodeurian clutch shutout to even the Panthers series at 2 games apiece.

Yes, it was a different series... but the way Marty bounced back from a VERY tough loss and lackluster goaltending performance in both cases is a testament to his mental toughness, focus, and drive to be the best.

Unfortunately, in 2009 the Devils lost the last 2 games of the series... especially upsetting was the crushing choke in the last 1:20 of game 7... Something Devils fans like myself may never shake the memory of.

This year the Devils have also been inconsistent to say the least. The Florida series itself has had more mood swings than a pregnant Schizophrenic. Huge momentum swings have been the norm.

So the question has to stick in Devils' players and fans minds about what is next? Will the Panthers use home ice to tilt the ice back in their favor? Can the Devils ever hold a late 1 goal lead ...or even an early 3 goal lead?

Which Devils team will show up?

Will it be the team who earned a modern day NHL regular season penalty killing record? Or the team who gave up 6 goals in it first 10 PK opportunities?

Will it be the team who cranked out it's best offensive production since 2001 having 3 players in the top 30 in points this year... or the team who struggled mightily through the first half of the season just to get any goals at all?

Will it be the team who led 3 - 0 in three of the four games this series? Or the team who gave up 2 goals in game 1 to make it close... or gave up 3 goals early in game 2... or blew game 3 by allowing 4 unanswered goals?

Will it be the Martin Brodeur post all-star break and recent all-time NHL playoff shutout leader? Or the guy who was pulled Tuesday, or worse yet allowed Eric Staal's soul-crushing and series ending goal with under a minute left in 2009?

In the playoffs the Devils have been known to be over-confident. Even "expecting" to win rather than making it happen with grit, intelligence and heart. Let's hope that they've learned their lesson and keep their collective feet on the gas pedal.